Hell of a Day
by KB-RC23
Summary: Alternate Ending/Post-Episode Fic for Countdown. ""Hell of a day, huh?" She shakes her head, still trying to fathom everything that had happened. It's all a bit surreal. "Hell of a day," she agrees, giving him a soft smile that makes his heart flutter rapidly in his chest." Rated M. *Updated 10/16/14* One-shot.


**This is for ****_AnceKampeCC_**** on Twitter! Thanks for sharing your idea with me! Hope you like it.**

**Disclaimer: ****_Castle_**** is not mine :/**

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><p><strong>[Hell of a Day]<strong>

"Hell of a day, huh?"

She shakes her head, still trying to fathom everything that had happened. It's all a bit surreal.

"Hell of a day," she agrees, giving him a soft smile that makes his heart flutter rapidly in his chest.

His head is tilted to the side, the boyish grin on his face never faltering or waving. He can't get enough of her. It's more for his sake than hers, but he needs to be with her, spend time with her, and just know that she's okay.

She's safe. They both are. But he still needs that reassurance.

Maybe they could get out of here, go get a drink and just enjoy each other's company? Hell, he really needs to get out of here. As much as he loves spending time with everyone, he really just wants to spend time with Kate.

Again, part of that reassurance. They've cheated death too many times over the past few days. Each one a close call.

He thought that they wouldn't make it, yet here they are. And he realizes that he doesn't want to wait for another close call before he can admit his feelings for her. If he doesn't do or say something now, he may regret it.

It's now or never.

"You know," he starts as he puts his hands in his pockets in a nervous gesture, one Kate notices immediately. "I was thinking…"

A figure behind her grabs his attention. And that's when he realizes that she has other people in her life besides him. Right. He has to remember that.

Shit.

Rick watches the man turn the corner and his heart breaks at the sight of the tall doctor.

Yeah, he's gotta get out of here. Can't stand to see her with… him.

He shakes his head, his mouth pulled into a line. "I was thinking maybe— I should go home. Get some rest. Long day." He can only back away with a forced smile. "Good night."

Kate stares at him in confusion, her eyebrows knitting together as she ponders over what he had actually wanted to tell her. "Good night." That's when a pair of arms wrap around her middle, almost shocking her. She turns to find her boyfriend. "Oh. Hey."

He pulls her in for a hug, but as she is in his embrace her eyes are on Rick as he enters the elevator. There's a darkness looming in his eyes and the force of which it hits her practically knocks her out.

She can't do this. Not anymore.

It's not fair, for either of them to keep this charade going. She's got to put an end to it and fast before someone gets hurt even more.

"Josh?"

Kate leans back, out of his arms and wraps hers around her middle. The feel of him doesn't feel… right. She needs her space. He feels cold and rigid, much different from when she had been wrapped in Rick's arms a few hours ago. He tries to step in, arms open for another hug, but she pushes him back.

"Can we talk?"

His eyes glance over at the now closed elevator before coming back to his girlfriend. He nods once, trying to push back the jealousy and anger that threaten to break the surface.

It's almost as if he knows.

"Yeah. Of course."

Josh follows behind her in silence as she directs him toward the break room. Kate shuts the door then the blinds, blocking them from the eyes that roam the bullpen and giving them the privacy they need. She then leans against the counter, arms crossed almost in defense as she gazes down at the ground while Josh stands a few feet away, his anger brimming to the surface.

"Look, Josh. There's no easy way to say this, but—"

"It's about him, isn't it?" He cuts off, fists clenched at his sides. "It's about that damn writer!"

"Josh, I—"

"No. I get it, Kate. Hell, I've known for a long time, but I refused to believe it… Until now." He almost looks disgusted with her. "I came back, for _you_. I decided to stay in New York, for _you_. Yet none of that seems to matter because all you can seem to think about is _him_," he hisses while pointing toward the elevator where the man in question had just gone.

Kate takes a step forward, her hands reaching out for him, but he flinches away. "I'm sorry I've let this go on longer than it should have. You're a great guy, Josh. A really great guy, but I just don't think that we can pretend any more."

"Who's the one pretending here, Kate? You're the one who is cheating, not me!"

She wants to slap him. "Excuse me? I am _not _cheating!"

"Maybe not physically, but emotionally you are."

That stings. It's almost as if he's slapped her himself.

She doesn't deny it though. It's true.

She's always had one foot out the door, just in case. Made things easy and not complicated.

It's just not want she wants. She's been pretending for a long time and it's not fair.

Kate watches him as he runs a hand through his hair in an attempt to get his thoughts in order. Josh's heated demeanor slowly diminishes as he gains control of himself. Kate lets out a sigh, steps forward and takes his hand in both of hers, her eyes cast down at the floor. The two stand for a few seconds, taking in the silence.

It's broken when Josh speaks, his voice wavering while he lets go of her hands and turns to pace. "Why?" Josh asks, his voice soft and barely holding together. He faces her again and Kate can see the anguish on his features, the hurt. "Why him and not me? What's so special about him?"

So many things, she thinks with a smile.

Taking a seat on the couch, hands clasped together, she takes a moment and truly ponders over his questions. A minute passes by before she answers.

"He has always been there for me, even when I didn't want him to be," she starts. "He knows things about me that most people don't." She chuckles lightly, shaking her head. "Sometimes I think he knows me better than I know myself. He's— God. I don't know?"

Josh waits, his heart breaking at hearing her talk about the writer. He's known she never was truly his, yet he kept up the hope that she'd get sick of her shadow.

Listening to her, he knows it's the exact opposite.

"You're in love with him," he states, resigning to the fact that he's already lost her.

Kate meets his eyes and her silence is answer enough.

"So, that's it, huh? We're over?"

She nods. "I'm afraid so. I'm really sorry, Josh. We can always be friends," she adds as an afterthought.

He shakes his head. "No. Just save me the trouble about being friends, all right? We both know that it's not going to happen… as much as I wish it were true." Josh shuffles on his feet, his hand threading with hers. "Look, you're an incredible woman, Kate. I just hope your writer realizes that before it's too late."

Kate sucks in a breath. "Me too."

"You take care of yourself." A quick kiss is pressed to her forehead and then he's gone.

Kate sits in the break room alone, a weight suddenly lifting from her shoulders as she takes in what happened.

It was actually…easy?

Now for the hard part: finding Castle.

Whipping out her phone, she punches in the passcode before hitting her contact app and selecting his name. Raising the phone to her ear, she doesn't hear it ring; instead, it goes straight to his voicemail. She leaves him a quick message about calling her back, before she rushes out of the break room to go to her desk in order to grab her jacket, keys and bag.

In a hurry, she says good-bye to her colleagues, who give her confused glances but don't get a chance to get a word in because she is sprinting to the elevator. Kate looks at the watch on her wrist, getting impatient, so she detours to the stairs and takes them two at a time, and then running out to the parking garage, she heads toward the Crown Vic before hopping in. Once her seat belt is in place, she tries to think of where he'd go.

His loft, maybe? She thinks, as she starts the engine and pulling out into the evening traffic.

Only one way to find out.

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><p>She waits, her hand frozen over the door as her heart pumps wildly in her chest. She can do this. With a new refound strength, Kate raps her knuckles against the door and sucks in a deep breath. She waits ten seconds, then twenty before knocking again, but the same silence greets her.<p>

He's either ignoring her, or he's not here at all.

It breaks her heart more than she would've liked. The pain reverberates through her veins, pumping out toward every nerve in her body. Maybe she merely beat him here? But the longer she waits, the longer she realizes that that's not true. He left before her, so surely he'd be home by now?

Biting her lip, a sudden thought enters her mind. Pulling out her notepad and pen she normally uses for taking notes at a crime scene, she scribbles out a quick note, rips the page out and sticks it between the door and the frame.

Hopefully he'll see it when he returns. Or when he comes out of his loft, if he's even in there.

Kate slowly makes her way to the elevator, unable to shake the sadness that washes over her. With one last glance at his door, she steps on the elevator and presses the call button for the lobby.

When she steps outside, she tugs her jacket closer around her as the wind picks up for a brief moment, the cold licking her cheeks. A sudden shiver runs down her spine as she's reminded of the freezer, of that numbing cold that overtook her body. Shutting her eyes, Kate stands in the middle of the sidewalk and gets her breathing under control.

It only takes a few seconds before she's okay and moving toward her vehicle.

Sliding in the driver's seat, she buckles her seatbelt and starts the Crown Vic, before looking in her side mirror and merging into traffic, all while praying Castle would see her note and give her a call so they could talk.

* * *

><p>He steps off the elevator, his hands deep in his jacket pockets in an attempt to feign off the bitter cold that's making a permanent home in his bones. He really shouldn't have walked all the way to his loft, but he needed to clear his head and simply get away from everything.<p>

God, how could he have been so stupid? She's with another man; he needs to remember that.

He just wants what's happy for her, even if it hurts him in the process. She deserves to be happy, and Josh can give that to her when he can't.

Head down, he trudges for his door while fishing for his keys. His fingers glance across the cool metal of the key chain and he pulls them out, his eyes looking up as he raises his hand, but something catches his eyes.

What the—?

He recognizes the handwriting and immediately snatches the note, opening it.

_Rick,_

_I stopped by, but you weren't here. Hope you're okay._

_We really need to talk. Please call me when you get the chance. _

_Love,_

_Kate_

He stares at the neat scrawl once more, memorizing every word. Turning he slides down his door, the letter clutched in his hands, before leaning his head back against the wood, letting it all wash over him. Rick sits for a few more minutes, debating with himself to call her or not.

She obviously wasn't with Josh, at least not right now, otherwise she wouldn't have come all the way over here.

Why would she do this if she—

It suddenly hits him like lightning.

He knows what to do.

Holding the note in one hand, he digs out his phone and turns it on, then waits for the screen to light up. He quickly punches in his password before hitting the phone icon, only to stop when he gets a notification of a missed call and voicemail. He hits the message and listens.

_"__Hey, Castle. It's me… Beckett. Um, we need to talk. If you get the chance, please call me back, okay? Maybe we can go to Remy's or order in? Yeah… Okay. Um, bye."_

With the phone still pressed to his ear, he stands, pulls his key out of the lock and heads back for the elevator. He hits the button and luckily the door opens, allowing him entrance. Tapping the lobby button several times, he tries to push the doors closed and grins to himself when they finally do.

He pulls the phone back, looks at the screen and then his gaze travels back to the note he still has clutched between his fingers. Making a quick decision, his thumb hovers over her name before he hits the button and raises the phone back to his ear.

It starts ringing.

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><p>Kate lets the warm water soak her, its heat radiating through out the entire bathroom as it fills with steam. She doesn't hear her phone ringing in her bedroom due to the soft jazz music she has playing in the background, so the call goes unanswered.<p>

The heat soaks into her skin, erasing the cold. Her mind travels back to the freezer, her hands shake at the sudden thought of that numbness. No matter how many times she tries to wipe it away, that cold rushes into her bones, her veins, and remains.

Sinking down, she curls up against the sidewall of the shower and wraps her arms around herself. All she can do is picture his arms around her, holding her, and fighting away the freezing chill as it overcame her.

She craves him. Craves his touch. His warmth.

Sighing, she wishes she hadn't passed out on him, at least not until she could tell him how she truly feels about him. But it had been so cold and she had felt so tired…

No matter what she does, the ice in her bones, in her bloodstream, seems permanent. Kate closes her eyes and rocks back and forth, praying the gentle movements will erase away the cold.

After a few more minutes, she reaches up and shuts the showerhead off, before carefully standing up, then stepping out and wrapping a soft white towel around her damp body.

She's okay. She's safe and they made it.

Honestly, she doesn't think she would have been able to survive if it wasn't for Castle. He kept her warm, stayed by her side, and never gave up on her. And that's exactly why she'd broken things off with Josh. He was never there, always coming up with some excuse and leaving her alone.

But Castle. He just can't seem to stay away.

At least, until now.

God, she can only hope he'll call her. Then, she'll be honest with him and tell him. Finally.

She wraps the towel around her then shuts off the stereo she left near the tub, the music stopping and leaving her in silence. Padding to her room, she starts to take the towel off when the shrill ring of her phone startles her.

Her towel falls to the ground, so she leaves it in order to answer her phone.

A blush colors her cheeks when she sees his ruggedly handsome face lighting up her screen. She suddenly feels very exposed, which is silly because he can't see her. But still. Quickly grabbing the towel, she covers herself and answers the phone.

"Castle. Hi," she greets, all too happy to be talking to him.

He called her.

"Hi," he answers back, his tone matching hers and that in itself is a relief. "I tried calling you a few times, but you didn't answer."

He seemed upset earlier so to hear him sound happy makes her smile.

"Yeah. Sorry. I just stepped out of the shower."

She can hear him groan softly at that new insight, but he doesn't elaborate any further on the topic. Just picturing her, all wet and—

"I take it you got my note then?" She asks hopefully, her bottom lip between her teeth. She's still soaked and leaving water all over her carpet, but she couldn't care less at this point.

He called her back.

"That I did."

He doesn't say anything else and Kate waits for him to go into more detail, but he remains silent.

"And…?"

He chuckles at that. "And… I think you should open your front door, these bags are getting awful heavy."

Wait, what? "Huh?"

And with that, the line goes dead.

Kate stares at her phone for a split second before there's a knock at her door. Castle's here. He came to her apartment and she's here standing completely—

Oh, God.

Scrambling, Kate rushes to grab some clothes. She nearly trips over one of the legs of her gray sweatpants. Not bothering to put on any underwear or even a bra in her haste, she slips a navy hoodie on and runs for the door, opening it in a flash.

"Hey," she beams at him. "Come on in. Here, let me." She takes one of the bags from his hands, lightening his load.

Rick is all smiles for her as he follows her into the kitchen. "I hope you're up for Chinese because I stopped by Mr. Chow's on the way over here. You did say we could order in."

"So I did."

They set the bags on the granite counter top. Kate is busy taking out the cardboard containers, the smell of the food is almost overwhelming and she can feel her stomach grumbling.

"God, this smells amazing," she gushes.

The duo divides the food up and silently come to the decision to sit on the couch. Kate is sitting with her back against the armrest, her knees tucked up as she holds the container of Kung Pao chicken closely. Rick is directly opposite her, jacket strewn over the back of the couch, his eyes on her as she uses the chopsticks with precision and ease.

"Staring," she mumbles, eventually meeting his eyes.

He gives a weak smile, says sorry and then proceeds to eat his dinner but with much difficulty. Every now and then he'll cast a gaze at her, only to shy away when he feels her eyes on him. Kate can only smile to herself at that, loving the attention.

When they're both full and the cardboard containers are empty, the silence makes its presence known. Kate watches him carefully, unsure of where to start. She suddenly finds herself nervous. She gulps, looking for the right words but can't seem to find them.

Rick is just as nervous as she is, but someone has to start talking and it might as well be him. He is, after all a writer, surely he can come up with something to say… right?

"So," he starts, clearing his throat. "What, um, did you want to talk to me about? I thought you'd be with Josh tonight." She can hear the disdain in his voice, but he's trying to hide it.

She shrugs her shoulders. "We broke up."

He had a feeling they did after he found her note and received her voicemail, but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. "I'm sorry, Kate," His hand is suddenly reaching across, its presence warm on her knee. "What happened?"

Kate pauses for a moment, which only builds the anticipation on Rick's end. She doesn't keep him waiting for long though.

"I really liked him. But that wasn't enough." Eyes down, she huffs. "It was never enough."

Rick gulps, seeing his break. "And what is? Enough, I mean."

Looking up, she looks into his blue eyes and gives him a smile that causes him to lose his breath. "Do you remember what I told you in the tent?" She asks, curious if he's catching on.

He nods. "Yeah. I remember."

How could he forget? It was then he had been about to confess his love for her, to tell her that she could dive in it with him, when they'd be interrupted, stripping him of his chance.

But, from the way she spoke and her body language, Rick had a feeling he was about to get another chance.

"Well, it turns out that I've found him."

His heart starts racing and he's rendered speechless, unable to formulate a single thought or word as he gazes at her. It's written all over her face, plain as day.

He sees it. She is looking at him just as he is gazing at her.

Kate gains the courage to move. She slides over to him, closing the small space they'd left between them until there isn't a wisp of air that separates them.

"Turns out he's been there in front of me all along." A hand reaches up and cups his cheek. "It's you, Rick."

His eyes are searching hers, waiting ever so patiently.

"You have been there for me when no one else was. I wanted to tell you when we were in the freezer, but I passed out before I got the chance… I— I love you. I am so madly and deeply in love with you," she whispers, her face a mere inch away from his. She takes the plunge and kisses him, her mouth caressing his in a gentle touch.

"Kate—" Rick groans, his hands wrapping themselves around her waist, tugging her even closer so that she now straddles his lap. "I love you, too. I have for as long as I can remember. I tried to tell you, in the tent but..." His eyes being to brim with tears.

"Shh," she kisses him softly. "It's okay. The important thing is that we're here now. Together."

"I thought I lost you." It's so low she almost didn't hear it.

"You didn't. I'm here," she reassures him, her heart breaking at seeing him in pain. "I'm right here."

Rick nods his head then leans forward into her chest, his cheek pressed against her breast as he takes in a shaky breath. Fingers threading through his soft hair, she presses a kiss to the crown of his head and simply holds him.

"I love you," she whispers over and over again, slowly rocking his upper body back and forth as she holds him.

The tears fall free and soak her hoodie through to her skin. She doesn't mind. She lets him get out all of the emotions he's been bottling up for quite some time.

"We're okay. We're safe."

It takes some time, but once he is all cried out, he leans back so that his back hits the cushion and huffs a slow, deep breath. Her hands are still tangled in his hair, so she doesn't bother removing them. Instead, her fingers dance their way to his cheeks. Her thumb drags underneath his eyes, wiping away the tears, as she keeps her eyes on his face, studying him and trying to gauge where he is.

"You alright?" She murmurs all too quietly.

"I will be," he answers truthfully. "Thank you."

Kate can't stop the smile from tugging at the corners of her lips. "Always."

That one word is his undoing. Bringing her in, he captures her mouth with his. It's sweet and tender. All of the love they have for each other pours out, warms them up.

Their lips dance and caress, taking their time to explore, taste, and savor each other. It may have started out slow, but it doesn't last that way for long.

The heat between them rises, their need and desires coming to the surface.

Rick's tongue traces over the seam of her lips, aggressive and impatient, and she opens to him, a moan escaping her uncontrollably. He leaves her mouth and begins to trail kisses along her jawline, heading for the patch of skin at her neck.

His fingers slip under her sweatshirt; the warmth of his hands on her bare skin sends shivers up her spine. Kate gasps when he trails the curve of her spine and she arches into him, delicious friction building at the contact. Her hips glide over his, unable to help herself. She smirks when he has a groan for her in return.

"Bedroom, Castle." She moves over him again. "Now."

He doesn't fight her. He instead picks her up, his hands cupping her ass to keep her steady in his arms, while she has her arms wrapped around his neck.

He hesitates, eyebrows knit in confusion. "Um, where is it?"

She laughs. She full on laughs at him.

"What?" He asks, not sure why she finds his lack of knowledge amusing.

"You're adorable." Kate kisses him briefly, loving the way his cheeks turn pink at her compliment. "It's the first door on your left."

Practically running, with her in his arms, he makes it to her bedroom and carefully sets her down on her feet. She stares up at him, the height difference staggering. Standing there, they don't speak but rather take each other in.

Reaching out, Kate takes Rick's hand in hers and slowly backs up so that the back of her knees hit her bed. He falls with her, careful not to crush her. His body lines with hers perfectly, every contour and crevice fitting together as if they were made for one another.

His movements are deliberate and measured.

Hands mapping her arms, he runs them down to her hips and flitters with the edge of her hoodie. With a single tug, he lifts the navy sweatshirt and gasps when he finds her bare underneath.

"So beautiful."

His mouth immediately descends to her neck, his tongue licking the sweet tasting skin and making his way down to the valley of her breasts, where he lingers. Kate lets out a moan and brings her hands up to his shoulders, softly kneading them while urging him even closer still. Her fingers make deft work of his shirt, tossing it to the side as she moves her hands up and down his strong chest, her fingernails running across his nipples as he hisses in both pleasure and pain.

She slides her hips further into him and begins to make little movements while running her hands through his hair. Her body rocks under him in a steady rhythm, driving him crazy and he knows that he has to do something or he won't be able to last much longer.

Kate parts her legs until he is securely nestled in between and wraps them around his waist, easily feeling his jean-clad erection against her. She yanks his head down and licks his bottom lip, her legs running up the back of his thighs.

Rick growls, claiming Kate's mouth in a kiss that rattles his entire body to the core as he takes her hands and holds them above her head, their tongues dueling relentlessly. He rocks into her and it makes both of them moan with the pleasure of it, and so he steadily increases the friction with each movement.

"Love you," he whispers fiercely into her ear as he covers her breast with one of his hands, giving it a firm squeeze.

Kate reaches down between them and starts to caress his length through his jeans that are keeping him from being fully exposed to her. "Castle—"

He gives her a wicked smile and quickly undoes his jeans, slipping them, along with his boxers, from his body in one swift motion.

Rick kisses her eagerly, wanting nothing more than to remove the final barrier between their bodies. He continues his ministrations downward and peppers kisses down her flat stomach. As Rick swirls his tongue across her belly, he lets his hand stray down her side, making small circles around a sensitive spot on her hip that has her moaning beneath him.

When he hears the whimpers escaping from her lips, he knows he could continue his seductive journey, but he decides to stop his teasing. His fingers reach the inside of her thighs, and he feels her body go tense.

She arches into him, mentally guiding him to where she wants him to be. When he looks down into her eyes, she whispers, "Touch me, Rick."

Pulling her sweatpants off in one fluid motion, the last article of clothing has disappeared. It's just the two of them, with nothing left separating the feel their hot skin gliding over the other.

Kate lets out a soft cry as his fingers move casually over her. She gently grips his hand, moving it along with him as her body yearns to meet his caress. She allows her free hand play with the hairs that are nestled at the nape of his neck before pulling him to her waiting lips.

Taking her hand in his, he places it above her head, whispering into her mouth, "Let me."

Hand back down, his fingers roam inside. His groin aches at the touch of her. His strokes are unhurried and sensual.

"You're so wet," he breathes as Kate bucks against him, causing him to bury them further inside her.

Matching each of his strokes, Kate shifts her hips in rhythm to his fingers. She lets out soft sighs as he reaches her most sensitive spot. Her fingernails dig deep into his flesh, her body thrusting against his.

Sensing Kate getting close, Rick removes his fingers and smirks when he hears her whimper at the loss.

"Tease," she huffs, hair sprawled out around her on the bedspread.

Shifting, he slowly enters her and groans at the feeling of finally being connected with her after so many years of fantasizing.

"Not a tease if I follow through," he says, attaching his lips to her neck as he gently begins to thrust his hips into hers.

His movements are slow and it takes Kate's breath away at how gentle he is, how tender. She knew it would be good, but never did she imagine it would be this good. She stares up at him, eyes glazing over as she lets go and merely feels.

It's all consuming, so powerful it makes her heart swell with love.

They reach their peaks together, falling off the clouds of ecstasy.

Rick flips to his side so Kate is now tucked into his chest, his body covering and sheltering her, keeping her warm. He presses a chaste kiss to her lips before sleep quickly overcomes him. Kate remains awake, her eyes on the man in her arms. She cuddles into him even further, lips over his heart as she murmurs words of love over and over again.

They're alive. They made it. But, most importantly, they took that leap of faith and dove into it… together.

And it was so worth it.

* * *

><p><strong>There you go! Reviews are love.<strong>

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